THE OLIVE – FRUIT OF YELLOW GOLD

Olives are fruits of the olive tree that certainly are among the most valuable healing fruits in the world, because people have always been using them in nutrition and medicine. Most of them are produced in the Mediterranean regions, more than 90%. They devote most of the produce for the oil production.

Olives differ by its colour, size, maturity as well with a lot of flesh and less oil and with less flesh and more oil. In gastronomy Olives are used with more flesh for preservation in jars, snacks, salads, additions to meals, drinks and decoration.

Olives contain a lot of active substances, like vitamin E, sodium, calcium and fluorine. They don’t contain a lot of vitamins but it’s still valid to say that 50 grams of Olives contain 100 micrograms of carotinoides.

Olives belong between the most important foods, which supply us with calcium. 50 grams of Olives contain about 40 milligrams of calcium.

Preserved olives contain sodium, mainly due to salt. 500 grams of preserved Olives, contains approximately 10,000 milligrams of sodium.

I have an acquaintance who grows Olives. That’s why I inquired with her about natural process for the production of high-quality Olive oil. Olives are hand-picked at around 25ºC (77ºF) and must be processed no more than 2 days after picking. Only the best fruits are used for making oil. For 1 litre of oil 10 kilograms of Olives must be picked. The procedures of oil are purely mechanical. Olive oil produced that way is very expensive and it deserves it to be. The oil produced by these processes is called unrefined – cold pressed extra virgin Olive oil. Acidy degree of oil is from 0 to 1.

In the kitchen I’m only using extra virgin Olive oil. Warm pressed/refined oil, according to rules it should be used to produce chemical products (lubricants, soaps, creams, etc.).

Olive oil can be used almost everywhere. One of the most long duration features of it is that it lowers the cholesterol level in blood, it’s easily digestible and therefore reduces the risk of cancer. It protects our heart and blood vessels because the acid composition in Olive oil is similar to acids in our body.

Hair tip

Olive oil is great for our damaged hair. I spread it all over my head and leave it for 20 minutes and then I wash my hair with shampoo, after the hair was washed and dried it is nicely glowing.

Skin tip

Olive oil is good for our skin, especially if it’s dry, because oil moisturizes the skin. After showering I don’t dry myself with a towel but I spread Olive oil on my skin right away and massage it, then I use the towel and dry myself. After that my skin is pleasantly soft.

Tip for Men

Men can use Olive oil like after shave lotion.

Olive oil can be also used if your hand skin is dry and cracked due to wind or cold.

Puppy tip

At home we have a puppy and I put some drops of Olive oil (several times a week) in to his food. After that his coat is nicely shiny.

I use olive oil for polishing wooden furniture as well as for cleaning leather.

I’m especially pleased that Olive oil is the only oil that we can use it the way that nature gave us. All other oils must be further processed.

How to know if you have the real Olive oil and not fake one?

The real/natural Olive oil is similar to mushy juice and that’s why it’s easily to wash it off your hands with warm water. If you have to soap, wash your hands several times and after that you notice that you have still oily hands, then this is the sign that this oil was chemically/heat treated.

Despite Olive oils known health benefits, it’s still neglected. Among all of the oils, Olive oil is consumed only 4%. Most of the Olive oil is consumed in the Mediterranean.

Olives and Olive oil prevent the following diseases:

- Disruption of blood circulation
- Cholesterol
- Constant fatigue
- Cardiovascular disease
- Poor resistance
- Building better bones and teeth (in children)
- Lung disease

Olive oil storage

Olive oil should be storaged in dark bottles and placed in a dark space at a temperature 12ºC/53.6ºF, which shouldn’t fall below it.

Maximum satisfaction of many people is to live healthy as much as possible, that’s why we should all use those golden drops of Olive oil in our everyday diet.